Leon Drechsler: 1924-2010
Leon Drechsler, who moved to Palisades with his beautiful artist wife Paula and their three young children in 1958, passed away on December 10, 2011. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Leon, known as Lee to all, graduated from Pratt Institute with a certificate in Industrial Design. He and Paula first settled in New Hope, where their first child, John, was born. They ran The Contemporary Studio, a fine arts gallery representing such artists as Isamu Naguchi and George Nakashima.
Our father told the story of how he came to buy on Lawrence Lane. He and Paula were on the verge of buying a ramshackle estate in Westchester when one of Lee’s friends, Richard Kiley, called and said, “Lee, bring a flashlight, you’ve got to see this property!” So they trespassed in the dead of night onto Mike Wallace’s property. There was a broken-down gardener’s cottage, a defunct carriage house and a pool that didn’t work. Lee realized that he needed this property; as an artist married to an artist with three little ones, he had a feeling there would be no vacations. Richard said, “You’ve got to buy it, I can’t afford to send all of my kids to summer camp; they can just come here to Camp Drechsler. And they did!
After moving to Palisades, Lee ran his own design firm, Lee Drechsler Design Associates, in Manhattan, having such accounts as Pepsi-Cola, General Foods and General Electric. He put the “wave” into the Pepsi logo. He said that although he had joined the rat race as a commuter, he enjoyed the commute because he was going home to such a beautiful environment.
Lee was an original “Mad Men” man and a truly brilliant designer. Our house, which seemed to evolve organically, was a mix of 1958 contemporary fused with old world charm (shabby chic before the term came into existence). Lee eventually turned the carriage house into an art studio and started a graphics art/industrial design studio with Paula joining him as partner. They maintained his original accounts and added others such as Dutton Books.
They loved entertaining poolside. My brother John, sister Jacqui and I are lucky to have photos of many of the “pool parties” where people of all backgrounds, ages and interests mingled. The house on Lawrence Lane was a welcoming place for friends and neighbors to meet, with stimulating conversation to say the least! Lee and Paula donated time and their artistic talents to many civic and community events, helping to raise funds for the Palisades Free Library, the Palisades Presbyterian Church, Nyack Hospital and other community-based organizations.
They retired in 1985 and moved to Little Torch Key, Florida, summering in Maine. Shortly after making Cundy’s Harbour, Maine, their permanent home, Paula passed away from congestive heart failure. Without his wife Paula by his side, Lee began to decline but he always knew who his children and granddaughter Paula were. And he remembered his life and times in Palisades with great fondness and, more importantly, his old friends and neighbors.
His children will be hosting a “cocktail party” for Paula and Lee in the future and will let everyone know where and when. We believe that our parents had a great life in Palisades, with dear friends and a deep and abiding sense of community that meant so much to them and to us.